Chenille novelty doll dress



CHENILLE NOVELTY DOLL DRESS Filed Dec. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l SAMUEL SEHAM May 31, 1966 s, SEHAM 3,253,282

CHENILLE NOVELTY DOLL DRESS Filed Dec. 3, 1963 2 Shee'hs-Sheei'l 2 33 |NvENToR= 34 SAMUEL SEI-IAM *v Y 7g ad United States Patent() 3,253,282 CHENILLE NOVELTY DOLL DRESS Samuel Scham, Chenille Co. of Georgia, 465 Broome St., New York 13, N.Y. Filed Dec. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 327,741 3 Claims. (Cl. 2--211) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ornamental novelty items, and in particular the invention concerns itself with an ornamental doll having a dress made of chenille.

For most part, the dress comprises a flared or bellshaped skirt, and the principal object of the invention is to provide such a skirt, which may be quickly, easily and economically manufactured from chenille material and which has a highly pleasing, aesthetic`appearance.

Also, the invention provides very simple apparatus for use in manufacture of the chenilleskirt, as well as a novel method of manufacture, in addition to the product.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein' like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a doll with the chenille dress in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a length of the chenille material;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the material shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the peg board on which the skirt o'f the dolls dress is formed;

`FIGURE 5 is an end view of the peg board;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan View of the peg board showing the manner in which the chenille is applied thereto;

FIGURE 7 is a View similar to that shown in FIGURE 6, but illustrating the chenille fully in place;

FIGURE 8 is an end view of a modified embodiment of the peg board; FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view of the skirt removed from the peg board and with the waist drawstring in place; and

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 10e-'10 in FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the general reference numeral in FIGURE 1 designates a novelty item in the nature of an ornamental doll having a dress of chenille. The doll has a conventional toy doll body and for most part, the doll dress consists of a chenille :skirt 16 which is the essence of this invention.

The chenille material used in the construction of the sikrt is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein it will be observed that the chenille comprises two or more flexible wires 17 which are spirally wound together while radially or diametrically extending filaments 18 are interwoven and securely held between the Wires, it being understood that chenille material of this type is well known and that no patentable novelty is being predicated thereon as such, apart from its use as herein described.

In the maunfacture of the skirt, the chenille is applied to a forming apparatus shown in FIGURES 4-7 which apparatus may be referred to as a peg board 20. The peg board 20 consists of an elongated base board 21 carrying a plurality of upstanding pegs, pins or headless nails, such pegs, pins or nails being arranged in spaced parallel rows as indicated at 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28. Although seven such rows of pegs have been shown, a greater or lesser number of rows may be provided, depending upon the height of the sikrt to be formed. It will be observed that the pegs in each row are staggered from those in the adjacent rows, although the pegs in alternate rows are aligned without staggering. Also, for a purpose hereinafter described, the top row of pegs 22 is spaced further away from the row 23, as compared to the lesser and substantially uniform spacing of the rows 23-28 inclusive.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the manner in which the chenille is applied to the peg board. Taking a sufficient length of chenille in hand, it is placed with one end over the rst peg in the top row of pegs 22, then under the first peg in the second row 23, then over the second peg in the top row 22, under the second peg inthe row 23, and` so forth in a zig-zag fashion throughout the whole length of the two rows 22, 23 to the opposite end of the board, thus forming a Zig-Zag stretch or row of chenille indicated at 30. Thereupon, the chenille is taken to the first peg at the right-hand side or end of the row 24 and a zigzag stretch or row of chenille is formed from right to left on the peg rows 23 and 24, as at 31. Then a left to right Zig-zag stretch 32 is formed on the peg rows 24, 25, followed by additional zig-zag stretches 33, 34, 35 on the respective peg rows 25-26, 26-27 and 27-28, as will be clearly apparent from the zig-zag arrow showings in FIGURE 6 and also from FIGURE 7.

In this manner the entire skirt may be formed from a single length of chenille, the starting and finishing ends of which may be simply tied or otherwise secured together. It will be also apparent from FIGURE 7 that the same length of chenille will also form edge binding at the ends of the several zig-zag rows, so that when the skirt is subsequently removed from the peg board the bound edges may be conveniently secured together to provide a circumferentially continuous entity.

The regions of chenille which engage the pegs provide what may lbe referred to as peaks or crests at the top and bottom of each zig-zag row. Inasmuch as the top peaks pass over the pegs in one row, for example the row 23,

while the bottom peaks pass under the pegs in the next row,

-for example the row 24, it will 'be apparent that when the chenille is applied to the board, the top peaks of each row of chenille will overlap the bottom peaks of the next higher row, and that the overall formation will be such that' rows of openings 38 will exist between the adjacent rows of chenille. In order to hold the skirt assembled after it is removed from the peg board, the overlapped peaks of the rows of chenille are secured together. This may be done, for example, by tying the overlapped peaks together with thread or wire, although the preferred arrangement is to secure them together adhesivly. This is done simply by `dropping small spots of quick-drying adhesive on the overlapped peaks of the chenille rows while the same are still in position on the peg board. After the adhesive is dry, the skirt is removed from the board by lifting the same olf the pegs. At this stage the skirt, of course, is still in a flat form as shown in FIGURE 9, wherein the numeral 40 indicates spots of adhesive `which secure the overlapped peaks of the chenille rows together.

In order to facilitate removal of the skirt from the peg board, the latter Imay be made of two complemental sections, as shown in the modified embodiment in FIGURE 8, wherein the board is split longitudinally along a line 41 which is parallel to and disposed intermediate the rows of pegs to provide the complemental board sections 21' and 21". These sections are hingedly connected together as at 42, so that after the skirt is formed on the board and the adhesive has dried, the board sections may `be moved about the hinge means 42 as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 8, thus bringing the pegs on each section closer to those on the other and substantially facilitating removal of the skirt from the board.

In any event, after the formed skirt is removed from the peg board, it is curved ,so that the ends thereof may be brought together in circumferential continuity and suitably secured together, as for example, by a binding of thread or wire (not illustrated).

A drawstring 43, which is preferably in the nature of a length of chenille, is then passed through loops 44 afforded by the peaks at the top of the uppermost chenille row, which constitutes the waist of the skirt when the latter is applied to the vbody of the doll. By tightening the drawstring 43, the waist portion of the skirt is gathered together around the dolls body, so that the skirt assumes a flared or bell-shaped conguration, clearly shown in FIGURE 1'.

It is to be particularly noted that while lfor purposes of illustration the rows of chenille in the skirt have been described as having a zig-zag form with upper and lower peaks, the zig-zag formation need not `be so angulated as to produce sharp pointed peaks as such. In other words, the chenille rows may be undulated rather than sharply zig-zagged, in which event the peaks would assume the nature of smooth reverse curves or undulations. This, of course, may be readily attained by simply increasing the diameter of the pegs on the peg board, although it is to be noted that a substantial increase of the peg diameter would separate the overlap or crossing points of the peaks or undulations so that they could not be secured together by an application of adhesive at one spot only. Nevertheless, a single spot of adhesive would be suficient to hold the overlapped undulations together even if they cross each other at two relatively widely `spaced points at each peg.

Now with further reference to FIGURE l, `as has been already stated, the skirt 16 constitutes the major component of the dolls dress, the remainder of which consists of a covering 50 -for the chest and arms. Such covering preferably takes the form of a single length of chenille of the same type as is used in the skirt, but of a somewhat smaller diameter. Such length of chenille is wrapped around the torso of the doll, starting with one arm, continuing around the chest, and inishing at the other arm. If desired, a parasol 51, also made of chenille, may be added to enhance the ornamental appearance. A petticoat 52 of any suitable material such as crepe paper, or the like, -may ybe provided under the skirt 16 and held in position by the skirt, so that the legs of the doll are not visible through the openings 38 which exist between the chenille rows of the skirt, as already mentioned. The ends of the chenille drawstring 43 are preferably tied together in a Ibow (not shown) at the back of the waist.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various lmodifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modications and equivalents may Ibe resorted to, yfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a dolls dress, an ornamental bell-shaped skirt cornprising a plurality of rows of chenille extending circumferentially of the skirt and disposed one above another, each row having a zig-zag form affording upper and lower peaks at the top and bottom of the row respectively, the upper peaks of each row overlapping the lower peaks of the next higher row, adhesive securing the overlapped peaks together, the zig-zag form of said rows providing rows of openings between the rows of chenille, the upper peaks of the uppermost row of chenille con-stituting a series of loops at the waist of the skirt, and a `chenille drawstring extending circumferentially through said loops for drawing the waist portion of the skirt together.

2. In a dolls dress, an ornamental bell-shaped skirt comprising a plurality of rows of chenille extending circumferentially of the skirt and disposed one above the other, each row having a zig-zag form affording upper and lower peaks at the top and bottom of the row respectively, the upper peaks of each row overlapping the lower peaks of the next higher row, means securing the overlapped peaks together, the Zig-zag form of said rows providing rows of openings between the rows of chenille, the upper peaks of the uppermost row of chenille constituting a series of loops at the waist of the skirt, and a drawstring extending circumferentially through said loops for drawing the waist portion of the skirt together.

3. A garment for a doll comprising a bell-shaped skirt comprising a plurality of rows of chenille extending cir- :cumferentially of the skirt and disposed one a'bove the other, each row having a zig-zag form affording upper and lower peaks at the top and bottom thereof respectively, the upper peaks of each row overlapping the lower peaks of the next higher row, means securing the overlapping peaks together, the zig-zag form of said rows providing rows of openings between the rows of chenille, the upper peaks of the uppermost row of chenille constituting a series of loops at the waist of the skirt, a chenille drawstring extending circumferentially through said loops for drawing the waist portion of the skirt together into supporting engagement with the waist of said doll body for suspending the skirt from the doll body waist, and a length of chenille cooperating with said skirt to complete the doll garment above said skirt, said length of chenille adapted to be wrapped continuously around the chest and the respective arms of said doll.

References Cited by the Examiner- UNITED STATES PATENTS 78,716 6/1868 Arnold 87-12 621,890 3/1899 Adams 87-12 2,999,996 10/1942 Kremer 2-211 2,344,462 3/1944 Koret 2-211 2,452,011 10/1948 Kippel 28-15 2,663,066 12/1953 Berger et al. 28-15 3,111,060 ll/1963 Peeling 87-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 729,664 11/ 1955 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DOLL''S DRESS, AN ORNAMENTAL BELL-SHAPED SKIRT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF CHENILLE EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE SKIRT AND DISPOSED ONE ABOVE ANOTHER, EACH ROW HAVING A ZIG-ZAG FORM AFFORDING UPPER AND LOWER PEAKS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE ROW RESPECTIVELY, THE UPPER PEAKS OF EACH ROW OVERLAPPING THE LOWER PEAKS OF THE NEXT HIGHER ROW, ADHESIVE SECURING THE OVERLAPPED PEAKS, TOGETHER, THE ZIG-ZAG FORM OF SAID ROWS PROVIDING ROWS OF OPENINGS BETWEEN THE ROWS OF CHENILLE, THE UPPER PEAKS OF THE UPPERMOST ROW OF CHENILLE CONSTITUTING A SERIES OF LOOPS AT THE WAIST OF THE SKIRT, AND A CHENILLE DRAWSTRING EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THROUGH SAID LOOPS FOR DRAWING THE WAIST PORTION OF THE SKIRT TOGETHER. 